Page 55 of Vicious Impulses (The Capo and Ballerina)
“You have had a turbulent journey with your sickness. I can certainly understand why you would believe the benefits outweigh the risks. We have a team of specialists who will be able to monitor your progress through the treatment.”
“I’m still lost as to why it had to be here in Zurich. I would have preferred in my home.”
“Your home does not have the accommodations necessary for this kind of treatment. Your family reached out about your condition and expressed concern your health is deteriorating. It is imperative we solidify a plan forward.”
“My family reached out did they?” I say slowly.
Doctor Gerber’s flat, liver-spotted face fills out with more concern. “Yes, they wanted us to extend the invite for this treatment since you had been resistant in the past.”
“That’s very interesting. That tells me I might need more time to reconsider.”
“Well, ideally, we’d like to start the procedure tomorrow,” he says. “If it is truly a road you wish to go down, then I will need your signature on these consent forms.”
I walk out of the Gerber Medical Treatment Center already preoccupied with my next engagement. Matteo’s called me three times in the last half hour. I snarl at him the second I return his call and he answers his phone.
“C, didn’t mean to call on ya honeymoon, but it’s important,” Matteo explains. “The Vorones. They’ve shown up at your estate.”
I stop mid-walk toward the car waiting for me. “What do you mean they’re at my estate?”
“Nero sent some guys. They wanted to search the premises. Said you’re keeping their important possession from them.”
Nevaeh?!
“What important possession of theirs?”
“They refused to say, C. They said you better call Nero ‘cuz you failed your half of the bargain.”
“My half of the bargain!?” I bark in sheer anger.
“What do you want us to do if they return? They left this time but seems like they’ll be back.”
“Don’t back down. If they attempt to force their way onto the property, you shoot to kill. He’s not going to intimidate me like he does the rest of the city. That’s my fucking domain,” I growl as another one of my men meets me at the backdoor to the limousine. I slide inside and clench my phone tighter to my ear. “I’ll handle the rest from here.”
“Shoot to kill?” Matteo repeats. “C, don’t threaten me with a good time—”
“Hold it down.”
I hang up on him swearing under my breath. I’ve only been out of the country for a couple days and everything’s already going to hell.
It’s true that I did agree after my meeting with Nero to talk Pa into accepting the new stipulations on Zinc Co. A matter I haven’t had any success in considering Pa’s not only a stubborn jackass, he’s a drunken one.
It can’t be later than breakfast time in the States and he’s already a sloppy mess.
“’Ello!?” he slurs loudly into his end of the phone.
“Your incompetence has caused me trouble with Nero and the Vorones. You fix this!”
“Who’s this? Carmelo? That you?”
“You know who the fuck this is! You’ve refused to comply with Nero’s demands!”
Pa chuckles on his end. Even his laughter is sloppy and garbled. It turns into a hacked cough as if he’s so drunk, he’ll choke on his own spit. I can practically see him sitting slumped in his fake throne, surrounded by his yes men and the models he’ll fuck tonight, barely able to hold up his phone. Sweat on his forehead, the shoe polish in his hair leaking down the sides of his face.
“Me, refuse? How can I refuse whenI’mthe don? I’m the boss. Something… something youcazzosdon’t understand.”
I scowl out the window of the limo. We’ve begun to drive down Zurich’s clean, neat streets. “This isn’t the time for you to throw a temper tantrum about your ego.”
“It’s the per… perfect time,” he hiccups. “None of you respect me, so… so I’ll make you. You and Nero. You and ev-everybody.”